


There’s Always Time

by MidnightxBluexBlack



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: General admiration of Riku, M/M, Pining, Pre KH3, character exploration
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-12
Updated: 2019-03-12
Packaged: 2019-11-16 08:03:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18090545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MidnightxBluexBlack/pseuds/MidnightxBluexBlack
Summary: Sora has been through a lot since he left on his journey, and some of his feelings have changed. That doesn’t necessarily mean he understands all the changes. There’s always time to try and figure things out, though.Sora reflects on how his feelings toward Kairi and Riku have changed.





	There’s Always Time

**Author's Note:**

> Story takes place before the events of Kingdom Hearts 3.

Sora still had a lot to learn about love—he knew this better than anyone. Sprinting through life at breakneck speeds, careening from adventure to adventure, from space and dreams, and to infinity and beyond. Well... all that saving the worlds business sure didn’t leave much time for self reflection.

Sora loved Kairi. Had always loved Kairi. His bond with her could span across universes, her strength kept him strong, too. Just the sight of that soft, knowing smile was enough to light him through the hard times, her warmth glowing soft and bright, ethereal, like the light of a full moon reflecting off of clear water. Sora loved Kairi, it’s just... what had started out as hot, bright childhood infatuation had somehow cooled, taken root, and grown into such a tender fondness, stronger and deeper and lasting. More than a crush, but still completely... platonic. When had that happened?

And yet somehow... Kairi seemed like she knew. Sora could see it in the way her smiles were softer now, her gaze was gentler, a knowing expression that always reminds Sora that when it comes to some things, Kairi knows him better than he knows himself.

And then there was Riku. Since when, exactly, was Riku the first one Sora thought of whenever he found something fun and new, whenever he saw something beautiful, when he was lonely, whenever he saw the morning sun cresting over the horizon. It seemed like nowadays, the first name to his lips was always...

Riku, whose rare smiles were so much more often less rare than they had been a year ago.

Riku, whose laugh made Sora’s chest tighten and his stomach lurch, eyes stinging with joy at the shy sound of it.

Riku, whose cool, clear eyes, the color of the ocean, always seemed to find Sora’s across a crowded room, buoying him when he otherwise might have floundered.

Riku, who tore Sora’s heart to shreds every time he saved him...

Sora had a lot left to learn about love. He wasn’t sure about any of his feelings, about the cause of all this joy, aching, warmth, happiness, anxiety, longing. He couldn’t explain the butterflies in his stomach when he caught sight of Riku across the beach, shining in the sunrise and smiling that soft smile that Sora was slowly starting to realize was saved just for him.

He couldn’t explain the fluttering in his heart as they ran down the beach together, the sight of Riku’s broad shoulders ahead of him, strong and dependable and just out of reach.

There were a lot of things he couldn’t explain, but lying there in the sand under the shade of the paopu tree, watching the wind play through silver hair as they curled up together for an impromptu cat nap, fingers lightly entwined, Sora felt, for the first time in forever, that he was well and truly home. 

And hey, as for everything else? Well, he’d always have plenty of time to figure the rest of that out later.

...

...

...

May your heart be your guiding key.

**Author's Note:**

> I kind of feel bittersweet considering the way the game ends. Maybe Sora doesn’t have as much time as he thinks.


End file.
